Labyrinth Melody
by cometgirl92
Summary: Years after Sarah defeated the Goblin King and conquered the labyrinth, her daughter Meah comes across a certain red book and falls in love with the character of the king. Unknown to her, it's a part of the king's plan to pull her into his world forever.
1. Prologue

**Disclaimer: I obviously don't own Labyrinth or any of the characters you recognize.**

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><p><strong>Prologue<strong>

One blue eye, one green. Both cold and fiery at the same time. Those eyes haunted Meah day and night. They had played a part in every one of her dreams for as long as she could remember, and, now, it seemed that she saw them wherever she went. When she was little, she would ask her mother about the man with the mismatched eyes. Sarah Newman avoided the subject and would get upset every time Meah brought it up, so she finally quit mentioning him.

On Meah's sixteenth birthday, a cloth-wrapped package appeared on her windowsill. She opened it to reveal an old, red velvet book. It was called _Labyrinth_. It told of a young girl who wished her baby brother away to the Goblin City. The king of the goblins told her that if she wanted to get her brother back, she had thirteen hours to beat the labyrinth that surrounded the castle. The girl struggled through the labyrinth, meeting all kinds of creatures and learning different lessons. She surprised the Goblin King when she beat the maze. He fell in love with her over the course of the thirteen hours and pleaded for her to stay with him. She refused, saying, "You have no power over me." Those words set her and her brother free.

Meah loved the story. She felt bad for the Goblin King, though. She had always been a hopeless romantic and loved happily ever after's. The king never got his. She wished the king could find someone else to love. For the next two years, Meah carried that book everywhere. She was never without it. The day before her eighteenth birthday, her wish finally came true.


	2. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

Birds soared across the skies and the pond water sparkled as Meah walked across the stone bridge over the water. She had her iPod earbuds in her ears and was listening to piano instrumentals from _The Phantom of the Opera_. She hummed along as the words played in her head. Her eyes were closed as she swayed and spun to the music.

It was sort of hypnotic, the way she moved and felt. Meah loved losing herself in music. Ever since she was little, she's had an affinity for it. Over the years she had learned to play the guitar, piano, flute, and harp. She would rather listen to the Philharmonic Orchestra than people like Avril Lavigne or Fall Out Boy. She loved to read even more than that.

Those differences were the ones that set her apart from her classmates when she was in high school. Her best friends were her grand piano and a certain red velvet book she now had in her messenger bag. Her mother had always told her that she would regret not trying to make friends in high school, but she hasn't yet. She graduated three weeks ago and has felt no loss or remorse. No heartache from past boyfriends, no reminiscing the glory of the past few years that ended once she got her diploma. No. She was ready to move on with her life. She had gotten a scholarship to Julliard in New York City. She couldn't wait for this last week at home to be over. She left for New York next week, and she couldn't be happier. She was sad to leave her family behind, but she knew it was time for her to go off on her own.

As Meah walked across the grass beside the pond, the wind started to blow softly, causing her long, dark brown hair to whip around her head. Meah opened her black-brown eyes and impatiently pushed her hair behind her ears. She sat down on the grass and leaned back on her hands, staring out at the water. It was a blue-green color and, unlike the other ponds in the city, it was fairly transparent. She could see gold and white fish swimming around along with tadpoles and minnows. Meah pushed herself up on her knees to get a better look at the fish. The music in her ears dulled until she couldn't hear it anymore. She looked down at her iPod, which sat on the grass beside her, only to see that the music had stopped though the screen said the song was still playing. It hadn't been paused, but it wasn't moving anymore. She looked up and around at her surroundings. Birds hovered in midair- wings outstretched, but unmoving. Children were frozen in place as they played on the swings and slide. The earbuds fell from Meah's ears as she slowly climbed to her feet. What was going on?

"Meah," a deep, male voice whispered softly in her ear. She spun around, looking for the source, but found nothing.

"Dearest, darling, Meah," he whispered again adoringly.

"Who's there?" Meah asked, looking all around. "Where are you?"

"The water. Come to the water, Meah," he coaxed her. She knew something was way wrong about all of this, but Meah was a naturally curious person. She walked slowly toward the water. Now standing at the edge of the pond, Meah looked into the water. A pair of mismatched eyes stared back at her. Her jaw dropped and everything started to get fuzzy. She shook her head and backed away from the pond. She was dreaming. She had to be. Meah snatched her iPod up off the ground and ran away from the water, toward home.

_At the same time in the Goblin Castle…_

"Damn it!" Kristopher growled, throwing the crystal he held in his hand to the floor. It popped like a bubble when it touched the stone.

So close. He had been _so_ close! Meah had almost fallen under his spell. She had almost been his.

Kristopher stormed out of his chambers, his boots clicking angrily on the stone floor, making all kinds of noise in the mostly empty castle. His father, Jareth, had died the previous year, leaving nineteen-year-old Kristopher to assume the throne and rule the realm of the goblins. He had been training the last few years to take over, including running creatures and even an occasional stupid human through the labyrinth. He had won every time. The only time in history that anyone had beaten the maze was when his father was king.

When Kristopher was fifteen, Jareth told him the story of a girl- Sarah- who had won the labyrinth and, in turn, had won his heart. Jareth even went as far as to show Kristopher who Sarah was. She, of course, was much older by that time and had a child of her own. A daughter. Meah. Petite, with doe-like brown eyes, the innocent girl had captured his attention. Over the next year, Kristopher checked in on Meah periodically. On her sixteenth birthday, he sent her a gift- the very book his father had made for her mother. He was delighted when he discovered her love for that book. Though it was about his father and her mother, he knew that he had formed a connection with her over it. She sympathized with the lonely Goblin King. That gave him hope. Maybe she could learn to love him as well? Him being Kristopher of course, not Jareth.

He had tried to contact her over the years, in her dreams and through reflections, like he had done with the water. He wanted her to picture _him_ when she thought of the Goblin King. Him with the same mismatched eyes as his father and the same tawny hair, though his was more tame than Jareth's had been. His affection for her grew as they did. Now, almost eighteen, Meah was the one thing Kristopher wanted most in the world. He wasn't about to give up. Sure, he had failed to bring her to the Underground today, but next time would be different. He was determined to make her his. At whatever cost.


	3. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

"You're late," Meah's boss, Josh, told her as she rushed through the doors of the music store.

"Yeah, I know. I'm sorry," she apologized as she ran to clock in and get to work. After the incident in the park, Meah had taken a long bath to calm her nerves and had fallen asleep in the tub. When she woke up, it was 7:16 and she was over fifteen minutes late for work. She knew that Josh wouldn't care though. The twenty-two year old had had a not-so-secret thing for Meah ever since she started working at Tune Center last year. Also, she had never been late before and had never had to switch shifts with anyone so she knew he would excuse her tardiness this one time.

The store was mostly empty so she didn't need to wander around asking people if they needed help. Meah made her way past the rows and rows of CDs to the other side of the store where all the instruments sat. As a part of her job, Meah got to play any instrument in the store that she wanted to. It attracted attention to the products and made sure they were tuned and ready to go when purchased. She went straight to the white grand piano- her favorite- and pulled out her music. Her fingers moved across the keys effortlessly as she played "Masquerade" from _The Phantom of the Opera_.

Immediately, people started to wander into the store to hear her play. She pretended like they weren't there, and, instead, she was playing in her own concert. She put as much passion into the music as she could, drowning out the rest of the world. Once the song was over, her hands continued to move over the keys, stringing random chords together and forming a beautiful, unfamiliar melody. Little did she know, the very same melody filled the corridors of the Goblin Castle.

_In the Underground…_

Kristopher sat at his black grand piano, composing as his did in his spare time. The song he was working on now was for Meah- just as his last forty-three had been. Each melody was soft and pure like her, but they reflected his feelings at that moment in time. This one had an anxious, longing feel to it. The others ranged from sadness to anger to hope. If only she could hear the despair and yearning in his music. Maybe, she'd find herself in it. He knew the gift she had for music. He'd given it to her years ago so that they could share that passion when he finally brought her to the Underground- where she belonged.

He could hear echoes of his music playing in his head. His fingers stilled over the keys, and he closed his eyes. He could see Meah. She was playing his song. His heart swelled, and he felt a smile forming on his lips. Their bond was getting stronger. He wouldn't have to go to great lengths to try to pull her into his world anymore. Soon, the tie between them would bring her straight to him. He pushed back from the piano and stood, turning to the door.

"Mordrid!" Kristopher barked. The little goblin rushed through the door, falling on his knees at Kristopher's feet and bowing his head.

"Yes, my king?" Mordrid squeaked out, his beady eyes on the floor in front of Kristopher's boots.

"Make up the guest bedroom. We're going to soon have a permanent guest," Kristopher told him, a sly smile breaking out on his face. Mordrid nodded, his big ears flopping.

"Of course, my king," the goblin replied. He jumped to his feet and scurried from the room, off to do the job he'd been given. Kristopher turned away from the door and walked over to the window. He gazed out at the elaborate maze that surrounded the Goblin City. If Meah wanted to try and get through the maze to win her freedom, he'd let her. He wouldn't promise to stand back and just let her simply run through.

Kristopher shimmered out of the castle, to the start of the maze. He walked through the winding paths and around the few traps it had already, looking for places to add new things. There would be more traps, more trickery, and more schemes in this labyrinth than ever before. Meah would never leave the Underground once she arrived. His father had lost to Sarah. He had let the fact that she was young and naïve cloud his judgment. He never believed she would get close enough to beat him. He thought her selfishness would win out in the end. Jareth had underestimated the girl. Not Kristopher. He would not let this girl get past him. He would give her the option to play this little game, but she would lose. His game, his maze, his rules. Meah didn't stand a chance. She'd be his. Forever.


	4. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

That random tune Meah had slipped into in the store was still playing in her head after she had gotten off her shift. It had been so haunting, so beautiful. She had no idea where it had come from. She knew she'd never heard it before. And there was no way she had made it up on her own. She had a talent for music, but she'd always had trouble composing. It was something she had tried once, but she had gotten blocked almost right away. She kept replaying it in her head the entire drive home, not touching the radio once. She wasn't one to drive in complete silence. It normally annoyed her. She just couldn't bring herself to listen to anything else.

The started humming as she pulled into her driveway. She put the car in park, turned off the engine, and stepped out, closing the door behind her. She threw her bag over her shoulder and headed up the sidewalk to the porch. The light was on which meant her mom was still awake. Sarah worried about Meah. More so lately than she had before. It was confusing to Meah because she had never done anything to cause her mother to worry. Maybe it was because she was leaving for New York soon. She'd be leaving her mother home alone. Her father had left them when Meah was four. No idea why. He was home one day and gone the next. It was a huge change, but Sarah and Meah had gotten through it.

"Mom! I'm home!" Meah called out as she closed the front door behind her.

"In here, honey," Sarah's voice replied from the direction of the living room. Meah walked down the hall and poked her head in the sitting room to find her mother sitting on the couch by the fire, reading a book. Sarah looked up and smiled at her daughter. Meah walked over and sat on the couch beside her, leaning against her side for a moment. Sarah set her book down on the end table, put her arm around Meah, and gave her a light hug.

"How was work?" Sarah asked, looking down at Meah with bright green eyes. Meah had always been jealous of her mom's eye color. She had inherited her father's extremely dark eyes instead.

"Work was fine. We weren't busy so I got to play the piano for a few hours on and off," Meah told her. She left out the part about the song, though. Something told her that it was something just for her. Something not to be shared with anyone else.

"Well that's good," Sarah replied.

"Yeah. I'm going to go shower, but maybe we can watch a movie after," Meah suggested, looking up at her mother questioningly.

Sarah smiled.

"That sounds like a good plan to me."

Meah smiled back, jumped off the couch, and left the room.

Sarah listened to her daughters footsteps go up the stairs. She loved that her daughter had such a passion for music, but she felt left out sometimes because she couldn't share it with her. She had never had an affinity for music. Acting was always more her style. Her ex-husband wasn't into music either. Sarah had no idea where Meah's talent came from, but she was glad that she had it even though she seemed more interested in music than other people. That's what worried Sarah the most about Meah moving to New York. She knew there would be more people like Meah at Julliard. Those so interested in music or acting or dancing that they had no time for relationships or friendships. Sarah didn't want her daughter going through life alone. She wanted her to meet people and make friends more than anything. But Meah seemed content as she was, so Sarah wouldn't push her. She'd come out of her shell when the time was right. She treasured the fact that Meah would rather spend time with her than go out with people her age. She knew she'd grow out of it soon and start her own life. Best to enjoy it while it lasted.

Meah threw her bag on her bed, walked into the bathroom, and turned on the water, letting it heat up while she gathered clean clothes and took off her makeup and jewelry. After she was clean and dressed in a tank top and shorts, Meah blow dried and brushed out her long hair. She could never let it sit wet. It always dried strange on its own. Once she had finished drying her hair, she stopped and looked at her reflection. She stared into her own eyes for a few moments.

As she stared, her vision blurred a little just as it had earlier that day. Her eye color started to change in the mirror as well. One turned green, and the other turned blue. Meah's eyes widened, and her reflection slowly faded away until she was staring back at a complete stranger with blonde hair and mismatched eyes. Meah backed away from the mirror, but she couldn't look away. The boy tilted his head to the side slightly and smirked knowingly at her.

"I'm dreaming. I've got to be dreaming," Meah whispered as her back hit the opposite wall.

The boy's smirk widened.

"You're certain about that, Meah? Are you really dreaming?" He asked, a British accent rolling off his tongue. His voice was smooth and deep. "Come closer, darling. I won't bite."

His voice and eyes were hypnotic, and Meah found herself doing as he commanded. She moved closer to the mirror, studying him as she did so. She stopped at the counter and rested her hands on the tile.

"Who are you?" She asked him. She didn't know if she was dreaming or not, but she wanted an answer either way.

The boy leaned forward, his face inches from hers now. He didn't answer. That smirk on his face grew wider.

"Come closer, Meah," he coaxed, his eyes piercing through hers.

She subconsciously leaned even closer to the mirror, completely mesmerized.

Suddenly, the boy reached through the mirror and grabbed Meah's arms. She let out a shriek, but it was too late. He pulled her through the glass, and Meah's whole world went white.

Sarah jumped off the couch at her daughter's scream.

"Meah?" She called out. Hearing no answer, she darted out of the room and up the stairs. She rushed to Meah's room and threw open the door. Her eyes scanned the room, but there was no sign of Meah. Sarah bolted around Meah's bed toward the bathroom. The light was still on, but Meah wasn't there. "Meah?"

Still no answer. Her eyes scanned the room and fell on something bright red poking out of Meah's bag. Sarah's blood ran cold. It couldn't be. She moved over to the bed and pulled out a familiar tiny red book.

"No," Sarah whispered.

After her trip into the labyrinth, Sarah and tucked the book into the back of her dresser drawer. She had hidden it away for years. Once she had married, it had gone into a box in the attic of her old home. How had Meah ended up with it?

But Sarah knew how. And she knew where her daughter was. She sat down on Meah's bed and put her face in her hands, sobbing. The Goblin King had stolen her daughter. Sarah knew it with every fiber of her being. She had beaten him, and now he wanted revenge.

"Jareth! Show yourself, you bastard! I want my daughter back right now!" Sarah screamed, rising to her feet.

She waited a few moments, but he didn't appear.

"Please. Please give her back," she whispered.

Still nothing. Sarah sank back down onto the bed. Meah was strong. She was her daughter after all. If Sarah could face the Goblin King and win at the age of fifteen, then Meah definitely could. He'd lose once more.

_At the same time in the Underground…_

Kristopher shimmered into life outside of the labyrinth with Meah unconscious in his arms. He had wanted to wait for her to come to him, but he had grown impatient. Their connection in the music store had sparked an intense desire in him, and he couldn't wait any longer. He set her down on the grass under a tree. She'd be confused when she woke, but she was a smart girl. She'd figure it out and call for him. Then he'd step in and tell her what she would have to do to win her freedom. He crouched down beside her and brushed a loose lock of dark hair off of her face. His breath caught. She was really here, and he had no intention of ever letting her leave.

He rose to his full height, towering over her small form. She stirred and that was his cue to leave for now.

"Let's play, Meah."


	5. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

Meah awoke to a soft buzzing in her ear. She threw her arm in the direction of the sound, hoping to make it stop. Only when she heard a tiny screech did she open her eyes. She sat up quickly, and her vision blurred. She closed her eyes and took a breath to collect herself. When she opened them again, the world around her came into focus. Meah gasped and looked around her in awe and fear. She wasn't in her bed at home. She was laying on the ground outside of a huge maze- a labyrinth.

"No way," she whispered. "This is a dream."

A soft coughing sound beside her pulled Meah's attention away from the maze. She looked down to see a tiny girl with wings lying on the ground, looking hurt and broken. The buzzing sound. Oh no.

Meah bent down toward the creature and scooped her up in her hands.

"I'm so sorry. Are you alright?" She asked.

Instead of replying the creature bit her. Meah yelped and dropped it.

"What do you think you're doing messing with fairies? Everyone knows they bite," a raspy voice scolded from behind the tree. Meah craned her head to look and saw a short ugly creature with big eyes staring back at her.

She scrambled to her feet.

"Who are you?" She asked, looking down at the creature as he walked toward her. Well. Hobbled is probably a better word for it.

"The name's Hoggle. Who are you?" He retorted, studying her as she did him.

"Meah. My name's Meah," she replied. "Where am I?"

"You ask a lot of questions. You're outside the labyrinth that surrounds the Goblin City. Are you lost or just stupid?" Hoggle asked bluntly.

"Hey! I was just at home. I don't know where I am or how I got here," Meah snapped back. Then she stopped. "Wait. I remember… there was a boy. A boy in my bathroom mirror with mismatched eyes and blonde hair. He grabbed me and pulled me into the mirror. I sound completely crazy right now."

"The Goblin King brought you here? Oh no… Not again," Hoggle groaned. "You're in a lot of trouble, girl."

"The Goblin King? The Goblin City?" Meah asked incredulously. "But that's just a story. It's not real. But neither are fairies…"

"Sure they are. One just bit you, didn't it? Felt pretty real, right? The Goblin Kin brought you here for a reason, and I'm not getting involved. Call him and ask him yourself. I'm out of here," Hoggle told her, backing away with his hands in the air.

"Wait! That's not fair! You can't just leave me here!" Meah protested.

Hoggle stopped and stared at her.

"What did you say?" He asked.

"What?"

He shook his head and blinked. For a moment she sounded like… No.

"Nothing. I'm going. Talk to the king yourself, girl," Hoggle said before turning and hobbling away.

"Hoggle! Wait! You can't leave me here alone!" Meah called out after him. It was useless. He was gone.

She took a deep breath and looked around. There was no one else here.

"I'm going to look crazy," she grumbled to herself before yelling out into thin air. "Goblin King! You brought me here, and I want to know why! Show yourself!"

For a moment there was nothing. Meah groaned. It was worth a shot.

"No need to yell, darling," a familiar deep voice said from behind her.

Meah whirled around and found herself face to face with the boy from the mirror. He was wearing a flowing white shirt and tight black pants with black boots. He looked more like a pirate from a romance novel than a goblin king as he leaned nonchalantly against the tree.

"You're the Goblin King?" She asked.

He smirked and pushed himself off the tree. He bowed at the waist, his eyes glinting up at her.

"At your service, my lady," he drawled. He straightened slowly, watching her.

"Why am I here? What do you want from me?" She asked him.

He didn't answer her right away. He stepped toward her leisurely then turned to circle her, studying her as he did so. Her eyes were wary, never leaving his face.

"Well? You brought me here for a reason. What do you want?" She snapped.

His eyes darted up to hers, and he gave her a wicked grin that sent chills down her spine.

"I want you, Meah. I've wanted you for a long time. I've been watching you, you know."

"Why?" She demanded. "How?"

"So many questions. I could answer them, but you're running out of time as it is," he said.

Meah's brow furrowed.

"Time? For what?"

"To win your freedom, of course."

Meah's heart stopped.

"Win my freedom? How?"

"I think you know how," he replied, his head tiling toward the labyrinth. A pair of doors appeared before her eyes, opening and beckoning her into the maze.

She looked at it and looked back at him.

"How long do I have?" She asked.

"Twelve hours and forty nine minutes now. Like I said, you're time is running out," he told her.

"But that's not fair!"

"Life's not fair, darling girl. Now, are you going to stand there and argue with me, or are you going to get started? If you'd like to stay and chat, I'd be more than happy to oblige," he said.

Meah shook her head at him and walked toward the opening of the labyrinth. She stopped at the entrance and looked back at the Goblin King.

"I'm going to beat you, you know. I know all about this place," she said. "You won't win."

With that, she turned back and walked straight into the maze, the wall sealing up behind her.

Kristopher grinned as soon as the labyrinth closed. His Meah definitely had fire. The next few hours would be fun. He shimmered out and onto his balcony in the castle. He looked out at the labyrinth, watching and waiting for his plan to unfold.


End file.
